Safety steering device.



H. J. IVHLLER.

SAFETY STEERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION men ocr. l2, 1914..

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UNITE@ @INTERN IIIQE,

HENRY J'. llIIIiIIER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB, El DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-FOURTH TO J. I-I. MILLER, DI? KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ONE- I-IALF TO SAFETY MANUFACTURING COMINY, .A CORORATION OIE MISSOURI, AND ONE-FOURTH TO TI-IE EVERGLADES SLUGAB. @t LAND GO., OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, A

CORPORATION OIE' FLORIDA.

SAFETY STEERING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, Italo..

Application filed October 12, 1914. Serial No. 866,277.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY J. MILLER, acitizen of the United States, residing` at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain nevv and useful Improvements in Safety Steering Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to safety steering devices, and has for its principal object to provide a device of that character for automatically retarding unguided lateral motion of a stering mechanism of a motor vehicle and automatically returning said mechanism to neutral position. In accomplishing this object I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of Which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figure I is a perspective vievv of part of the front axle of an automobile, showing the knuckled mounting of one of the Wheels' With the connecting rod, and the Combination of my safety steering device therewith. Fig. II is 'an enlarged longitudinal section of a safety' steering device. Iig. III is a transverse section thereof. I

Referring more in detail to the parts':- l designates the front axle, 2 a steering element, 3 the Wheel, and the connecting rod of an automobile or motor vehicle; such parts being of any ordinary and Well known construction and forming no part of my invention, considered separately from the safety steering mechanism. y

Bigidly mounted on the axle l is a bracket 6 having a rearwardly extending neck 7 overlying the knuckle connecting rod 1.

@n the rea-r end of the neck 7 is a cylinder 8 which is held rigid relative to the axle by a rigid mounting of the neck and bracket.

Slidably mounted Within the cylinder 8 is an inner cylinder or slide l0 having open ends, and closing the open ends of the said cylinders are caps 11, each of Which has a boss l2 on its inner face projected into the slide cylinder l0 and provided With a boss 13, hav-ing an aperture lll for receiving the hook end l5 of a coil spring 16 which nests Within the slide cylinder and connects the end caps 1l, so that the latter are yieldingly held against the ends of the slide and rigid cylinders.

he rigid outside cylinder 8 has a slot 18 in its under edge and the slide cylinder is provided With a rib 19 Which is adapted for travel in the slot 18 and carries a ball 20 on its lower end, which seats in a socket 21 on a clamp 22 which is rigidly fixed to the knuckle connecting rod 4, so that the slide cylinder may have limited universal movement relative to the connecting rod While being anchored thereto.

In using the device, presuming the parts to be constructed and assembled as described, When the Wheel is traveling in a direct line, the tension of the spring will tend to hold the connecting rod and steering mechanism in neutral position, but is yielding in order to permit flexibility of the steering mechanism under jolts and j ars; it being apparent that should one of the Wheels strike an obstruction Which would tend toy deflect the Wheels and steering mechanism, the spring would yield to permit the deflection, but would immediately return the parts to their normal position. It is also apparent that when the vehicle is to be turned the knuckle mechanism may be operated in the usual manner, so that the connecting rod is swung to either the right or the left, thereby pushing the slide cylinder in a corresponding direction against the tension of the contained spring, and that as soon as the operator removes the pressure from the steering mechanism the safety device will immediately return the steering mechanism to neutral position, so that the car Will drive in a direct line. v

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

l. The combination with relatively fixed and movable members of an open end cylinder on one of the members, having a longitudinal slot, a slide in said cylinder having a rib projected through the slot and connected with the other of said rst named Vsteering mechanism,

lle() 'the concentric` members, and jmeans at the extremities of the members, caps closing the ends of the cylinder when the parts are in normal position, and a spring located within the slide and connecting said caps.

2. The combination with fixed and movable brackets, of a cylinder on one of the brackets, having a longitudinal slot, free cap members at the ends of the cylinder, a spring located within the cylinder and connected with both of said cap members, a slide locatedwithin the cylinder and having a rib extending through the cylinder slot and connected lwith the other bracket, whereby movement of the brackets relative to each other will induce contact of one end of the V slide with one of the caps, to project the cap away from'the cylinder against the tension of said spring.

' V .3, VThe combination withV a connecting rod 20V and axle of a bracket on the axle having a cylinder'overlying and arranged longitudinally relative to the connecting rod, the said cylinder having open ends Vand having` a longitudinal slot facing the rod, a bracket fixed to the connecting` rod, a slide in said cylinder having a rib thereon projected into said slot and connected with the rod bracket, a. spring located within the slide, and free Y Y.cap members at'opposite ends of the cylin- Y stretching ofthe spring between the outer ends of the members upon a relative movement of the members in one direction or the other.

5. AV safety appliance for the steering mechanism of motor vehicles, the same comprising concentric members, a spring arranged vvithin such members, means at the Copies of this patent may be obtained for ends of the spring for sustaining the tension thereof engaging the extremities of the concentric members, and means entering the inner member and serving to centralize and retain the connecting means at the ends of the spring in proper position.

6.1%; safety appliance for the steering mechanism of motor vehicles, the same coniprising a member having an outer projection, a second member receiving vthe firstmentioned member and provided in a side with a longitudinal opening to receive the projection of the firstanentioned member, a spring disposed within the inner member, and means at the ends of the spring for sustaining the tension thereof engaging the en tremities of the inner and outer members.

7. A safety steering attachment for automobiles, comprising an arm rigid with the front axle of the automobile and provided with a. transversely extending tubular head,

a member slidably engaging said head, a pair of caps normally engaging the ends of the head and said slidable member, guiding means to prevent sidewise movement of said caps, and a retractile spring means secured at opposite ends to said caps and tending to hold the same against the opposite ends of said head and slidable member.

8. A safety steering attachment for antomobiles, comprising an arm rigid with the front axle of the automobile and provided with a. transversely extending tubular head, a member slidably engaging said head, a pair of caps normally engaging the ends of the head and means to prevent sidewise movement of said caps, and a retractile spring means secured at opposite ends to said caps and tending to hold the same against the opposite ends of said head and slidable member, in combination with an arm rigid with the connecting rod of the automobile and connected to impart endwise movement in one direction or the other to the said slidable member to cause the same to move the cap in advance of it away from the corresponding end of the tubular head.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY J. MlLLER. lVitnesses:

LYNN A. ROBINSON, LETA E. Coa'rs.

ve cents each, by adressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

said slidable member, guiding 

